"Lady Mo Yao, take a look at this."
Old Mo Yao gestured to one of her servants to hold the scroll for her to open.
"This..."
Everyone present was surprised, knowing that Old Mo Yao was difficult to surprise, and they began to wonder what the contents of this scroll were.
"Is this real?"
Hong Ting didn't know if she was asking him or just talking to herself. He was also surprised by Old Mo Yao's reaction, as he didn't know the contents of the manuscript, but he answered her anyway. "The contents of this manuscript, although incomplete, are authentic. If you want to obtain its completion, you must give up any demands and help us in the war without any conditions." His words caused a stir in the room, as the elders wondered what the manuscript contained that the Shen Clan would demand them to give up in exchange for. At the end of the hall, Old Mo Yao sat, thinking for a moment, then said, "Agreed."
...
The Blue City, the home of the Shen Clan. The sun was about to set, and the students began to leave the academy. Lan Shi was accompanied by a number of boys who spoke excitedly about the war and how they couldn't wait to crush the Liu Clan and restore their clan's honor. Lan Shi couldn't help but envy them. Unfortunately, if only they knew the truth, their enthusiasm would be so strong.
The Liu Clan has three Rank 4s and over 100 Rank 3s. In contrast, the Shen Clan has one Rank 4, the clan leader, and nearly 30 Rank 3s. The Gong Clan has two Rank 4s: the clan leader, Old Mo Yao, who is too old to fight, and her grandson, in addition to nearly 30 Rank 3s.
In terms of the number of Gu masters, we have one Gu master for every six from the Liu Clan. Even if the Gong Clan joined us, the ratio would be two to six.
When Liu Bai Zu attempts to ascend to Rank 5, he will enter Closed Cultivation. Ascending to a higher rank is a difficult and dangerous process that takes a long time. Even ascending from Rank 1 to Rank 2 can take days. Ascending to Rank 5 is a more difficult process that may take a year or even several years.
With the absence of a Rank 4, the Liu Clan will be at its weakest. We will seize this opportunity. To attack the Liu Clan and eliminate or prevent Liu Bai Zu from ascending to the fifth rank.
But that's easier said than done. Huang Jin Mountain is roughly the size of France, and the Liu Clan controls over half of the mountain. During the war, we'll have to fight for every inch of the mountain.
Additionally, because the Liu Clan has banned food exports to us, we'll face a food crisis a year from now. This food includes not only human food, but also food for the Gu worms. Humans can manage if they're hungry, but the Gu worms are picky about their diet. After a period of food shortages, we'll face the death of many Gu worms.
All this while we're racing against time to defeat the Liu Clan before Liu Bai Zu ascends to the fifth rank.
In short, our chances are almost zero.
This is where my role and the Clan Leader come in to save the day. We've devised a plan that, if successful, will give us the opportunity not only to defeat the Liu Clan, but to control the entire mountain. But...
When we consider the price that would have to be paid for this plan to succeed, we couldn't. Unless he feels guilty.
"If the plan succeeds, I think I'll no longer be a human."
.....
Lan Family House
Lan Shi sat in his room, with a plate in front of him containing a red Gu worm that looked like a stick with a red rose in the center. This was the redwood Gu.
In a few days, the academy would give its students their first Gu, but I wouldn't wait that long.
For some reason, I feel an affinity for the wood path, so I chose this Gu as my vital Gu.
The redwood Gu is a top-tier Gu that I created myself.
It allows a Gu master to extract the redwood skin and form it as they wish.
Redwood is as hard as steel, and it has the ability to drain an opponent's Primordial Sea upon contact.
Also, since it is a living substance that emerges from the user's body, it can be considered part of them, allowing the user to grow additional limbs, such as a hand, ear, or eye. They can use these Gu worms with these additional limbs.
But for this to happen, I have to use these Gu worms.
Lan Shi looked to the other side, where there were five Gu worms arranged as follows:
A redwood Gu worm resembles The beetle with a long black neck and a small red head was this Pure Blood Gu, which makes human blood compatible with wood. It also reduces the amount of blood lost when a wound occurs. After using this Gu for five consecutive weeks, human blood will be completely purified and there will be no need to use it anymore. The Gu worm is in the shape of a black cube with green geometric lines. This Gu converts muscles into wood-like tissue. Other than using it with the Red Wood Gu, it has no real benefit other than slightly increasing the healing speed of simple wounds. The Gu worm in the shape of a white deer's antlers was this Woody Bone Gu. It attempts to turn bones into solid wood, each steel having a flexibility similar to that of a cat. The Gu worm in the shape of a green cocoon was this Tree Bark Skin Gu, which gives the skin some rigidity while maintaining its original shape. If I were stabbed with a knife by an ordinary person, I would only receive a superficial scratch. The Gu worm in the shape of a blue snail with a green shell at the top of which grows some algae. This is the Woody Tendons Gu, which attempts to turn the tendons of the human body into More flexible wooden strings
"With all these Gu worms, I'll turn into Pinocchio. It's a pity I didn't invent the wooden nose Gu."
"It took a fortune to make so many Gu worms, but it's all worth it. When I'm done with all these Gu worms, I'll be able to display the true power of the redwood Gu. After that, I'll use a number of strength path Gu worms to increase my strength, as well as a number of Gu worms to increase my physical toughness. After four months, my physical strength should be higher than that of a Rank 2 Gu master."
Lan Shi couldn't help but look out the window at the black, starry sky. Then, with a hint of sadness in his voice, he said, "How I would like these peaceful days to last forever. But this calm won't last. I must prepare for the coming storm."